Species Details

Puccinellia simplex

California alkali grass

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Classification

Scientific Name: Puccinellia simplex Scribn.
Common Name: California alkali grass
Family:	Poaceae
Element Code:	PMPOA53110
USDA Plants Symbol:	PUSI
Synonyms/Other Names:

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Fed List:	None
State List:	None
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
Other Status:	BLM_S
CRPR Changes: added to 1B.2 on 2015-10-15
Add Date:	2015-10-15
Date Edited:	2024-03-06

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: annual herb

Blooming Period: Mar-May

Elevation:
2 - 930 meters
5 - 3050 feet

General Habitats:

Chenopod scrub
Meadows and seeps
Valley and foothill grassland
Vernal pools

Microhabitat Details: sinks

Microhabitat:

Alkaline
Flats
Lake Margins
Vernally Mesic

Notes

Notes: See Circular, United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Agrostology 16:1 (1899) for original description.
Threats: Threatened by hydrological alterations, urbanization, agricultural conversion, development, and habitat fragmentation, disturbance, alteration, and loss; resulting in extirpation of some occurrences. Potentially threatened by solar energy development. Possibly threatened by grazing and proximity to roads.
Taxonomy: Similar to P. parishii.

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

THREAT LIST:
Threat List Total:	11
	Total EOs	% of EOs
EOs with Threat Listed:	32	40 %
Agriculture	20	25%
Development	15	18%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	6	7%
Other	6	7%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	1%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	1%
Dam/Inundation	1	1%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	1%
Landfill	1	1%
Mining	1	1%
Non-native plant impacts	1	1%

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Element Occurrence Ranks:
Total Occurrences:					80
A	B	C	D	X	U
4	3	2	0	15	56

Occurrence Status:
Historical >20 Years	61
Recent <=20 Years	19

Presence:
Presumed Extant	65
Possibly Extirpated	10
Presumed Extirpated	5

Location

California Endemic:

California Island:

States: Name (Code)
California (CA), Utah (UT)

California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alameda (ALA), Butte (BUT), Colusa (COL), Contra Costa (CCA), Fresno (FRE), Glenn (GLE), Kern (KRN), Kings (KNG)*, Lake (LAK), Los Angeles (LAX), Madera (MAD), Merced (MER), Napa (NAP), San Bernardino (SBD), San Luis Obispo (SLO), Santa Clara (SCL), Santa Cruz (SCR), Solano (SOL), Stanislaus (STA), Tulare (TUL), Yolo (YOL)

Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Altamont (3712166), Arbuckle (3912211), Arena (3712036), Bonita Ranch (3612082), Byron Hot Springs (3712176), Cairns Corner (3611922), Calistoga (3812255), Chittenden (3612185), Cholame Valley (3512073), Clifton Court Forebay (3712175), Colusa (3912221), Crows Landing (3712141), Davis (3812156), Denverton (3812128), Dozier (3812137), Eldorado Bend (3812177), Elmira (3812138), Fairfield South (3812221), Firebaugh NE (3612083), Goshen (3611934), Gravelly Ford (3612072), Grays Bend (3812166), Guernsey (3611926), Hanford (3611936), Hatch (3712048), Helm (3612051)*, Jamesan (3612062), Kerman (3612061)*, La Costa Valley (3712157), Lake Isabella North (3511864), Lake Isabella South (3511854), Logandale (3912242), Lokern (3511945), Los Banos (3712017), Los Banos Valley (3612181), Lost Hills (3511956), Lost Hills NE (3511965), Lucerne Valley (3411648), Madison (3812168), Merritt (3812157)*, Milpitas (3712148), Monson (3611943), Mud Hills (3511711), Ortigalita Peak NW (3612088), Pennington (3912137), Plainsburg (3712023), Redman (3411778), Remnoy (3611935)*, Reward (3511936), Ripon (3712162), Riverdale (3611947), Rosamond Lake (3411871), Saxon (3812146)*, Stonyford (3912245), Stratford (3611927), Tassajara (3712177), Taylor Weir (3611914), Traver (3611944), Weed Patch (3511828)*, West Elk Hills (3511935), Westley (3712152), Wilbur Springs (3912214), Williams (3912222), Woodland (3812167)*

Notes:

Definitions of codes following a county and/or quad:
*		Presumed extirpated
(?)		Occurrence confirmed, but possibly extirpated
Quad and county data is imported from the CNDDB. Species may be present in other areas where conditions are favorable. These data should NOT be substituted for pre-project review or for on-site surveys.

Regional Map

Map

Presumed Extant

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Selected References

CNPS Status Review:

CRPR List Addition on 2015-10-15